20 to 1 Countdown Most Famous Hogwarts Students
by RedHeadedWoman91
Summary: 20 to 1 Countdown: Most Famous Hogwarts Students. Excluding the Trio, James, Lily, Dumbledore for obvious reasons... sounds better than the summary... trust me! PAUSED due to Writer's Block though it will be continued I promise!
1. Number Twenty

20 to 1 Countdown: Most Famous Hogwarts Students (excluding the Trio, James, Lily, Dumbledore)

Welcome to the 20 to 1 Countdown of the Most Famous Hogwarts Students. However this list excludes luminaries such as Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, the late Albus Dumbledore, and legendary parents James and Lily Potter. These people have only been excluded from the list because who're kidding. They'd be the top six.

So tonight we're counting down the other twenty most famous Hogwarts Students to the grace those hallowed halls. We'll hear memories and opinions from professors and other students that attended Hogwarts at the same time as those on the list.

Number twenty on the list is a young man known mainly for his camera skills and his untimely death.

Colin Creevy was a Muggle-born student who was more than delighted to attend Hogwarts. Sometimes considered to be annoying and over zealous at times, Colin took a real shine to a certain Harry Potter.

"Colin was a nice kid. He was like an annoying little brother that wanted to be exactly like his older sibling. And for him that older sibling was me. Of course Fred and George weren't much help."

Colin's favourite past time was photography. He is noted as saying that he takes so many pictures for his father who was very interested in the world of Hogwarts. When Fred and George Weasley taught him how to make the pictures move Colin went photo mad.

"Colin was actually very good with a camera. Though he sometimes tried to take pictures at really bad times, like when Harry broke his arm." Hermione smiled slightly remembering Colin. "He loved that he could make the pictures move."

"Fred and I thought that since he was such a nice kid we may as well help him out." George laughed. "So we asked him if he wanted to know how to make the pictures move. He was over the moon so we showed him. I was glad we did. He absolutely loved it and never stopped thanking us for it. Colin actually took a lot of photos for us to keep."

When Colin's brother, Dennis, came to Hogwarts the two became inseparable. The bond between Dennis and Colin ran so deep that they could often be found together producing moving photographs.

"Colin helped me a lot when I first went to Hogwarts. He showed me the ropes and introduced me to everyone in Gryffindor. Colin and I shared a love of photography and he let me help me make the moving ones."

Colin Creevy elected to stay at Hogwarts when the Battle at Hogwarts began. Although he was a brave and clever young man tragically Colin was killed in the course of the Battle. It is still unknown exactly who was responsible for his death.

"When I saw them carrying Colin's lifeless body into the Great Hall I didn't want to believe what I was seeing. It seemed strange to me to see Colin's form in the midst of all that." Harry shook his head.

"Colin was a lovely boy and I still find it hard to believe that someone so innocent was killed in such a horrible way." Ginny stopped for a second to regain his composure.

"He was an amazing kid with a real passion for photography. I've never met anyone like him, and I don't think I ever will again." George smiled sadly.

"He was my big brother and his passing hit me hard. I still find it difficult to talk about him. His passion and his dreams have influenced me to become a photographer." Dennis turned away and dabbed at his eyes, breathing deeply.

"Colin was always a bit mental but he was a good guy. He didn't deserve to die before he really got do anything with his life." Ron sighed heavily. "No one deserved to die then but for some reason Colin's death was… different somehow. I'm not really sure but there was something about Colin. Something different and unexpected."

"Colin was a good student, always eager to learn. Especially in Charms, according to Professor Flitwick. He was a very happy child but was an easy target for the Slytherins to bully." Professor McGonagall glanced away, shaking her head.

"Elder Creevy, Colin, was weird. He was obsessed with Potter and taking pictures." Draco Malfoy frowned. "But he was actually pretty good at the whole photography thing. I was shocked when I learnt that he'd died in the Battle."

Colin Creevy considered strange by some and a hero by others will always be remembered as the first photographer Hogwarts had seen in a long time. Those who knew him well will remember Colin as a bright young man who sacrificed his own life for the good of wizard kind.


	2. Number Nineteen

Number nineteen on the list is the girl who first stole the heart of Harry Potter. Cho Chang, a former Ravenclaw student, was a clever girl but, according to some, very… well, I'll leave it to them.

"Cho was a smart girl. Really she was but she was also a bit of a slag (NB slag = slut)." Ginny attempted to hide her smile but it didn't last. "I mean, she went straight from Cedric to Harry."

During the Triwizard Tournament held at Hogwarts, Cho attended the Yule Ball with Cedric Diggory. After the death of Cedric Cho moved onto Harry almost straight away, which led many to believe that she wasn't dealing well.

"I felt bad for her." Hermione smiled sadly. "After Cedric she was understandably sad and then confused after kissing Harry. Not to mention at that time her mother was facing the sack at the Ministry and it was her O.W.L year so she was worrying about that as well. I tried to explain that to Harry and Ron but they didn't understand."

Cho joined Dumbledore's Army in her sixth year and she never looked back.

"I loved being in the DA. It was so much fun and I learnt a lot of things from Harry. And the others of course." Cho smiled widely at her slip up at only mentioning Harry's involvement.

"She did well in the DA with the curses and everything. She was always very talented. Though she was in Ravenclaw." Harry glanced down before continuing. "Cho was a nice girl but I suppose that at times she could be manipulative.

When the Battle at Hogwarts began, Cho willingly went to her old school to fight. Although she was badly injured she continued to fight until the very end.

"I don't remember what happened really. I can recall fighting with a Death Eater and a flash of yellow. Then nothing. I was out for a few minutes and when I woke up there was still fighting going on so I simply rejoined the fight. Madame Pomfrey later told me that the curse was Dark Magic and it's designed to incapacitate the opponent. But it didn't seem to work properly."

"I have to say that for all her faults Cho is very brave." Ginny rolled her eyes. "Course that doesn't mean I like the girl."

"That was amazing. She was badly wounded but she continued to fight." Professor Flitwick smiled. "Cho was always a good student, very studious and kind. I'm proud to say that she's a Ravenclaw."

**These days Cho is single and working in the French Ministry. We were very lucky that she agreed to speak on the program, though she did say she would never listen to it or see. Each to their own I suppose.**


	3. Number Eighteen

Eighteenth on our list of Most Famous Hogwarts Students in an Irish lad who stole the hearts of many (including Fan girls), Seamus Finnegan. Seamus' father is a Muggle though his mother is a witch and so he got the best of both worlds. As an Irish boy Seamus always believed in magic and he believes that he would have even if he wasn't 'half-and-half" as he puts it.

"Mam's a witch so I always knew that magic existed 'cause I saw it everyday. But all Irish kids believe in magic no matter what the rest of the world thinks. To us Irish magic makes up a very important part of our psyche. It shapes our history and our folklore. Magic has always been apart of my life and the life of my entire family, Da included."

At Hogwarts Seamus made an impression on many people, including his Professors.

"Seamus Finnegan was never a very hard worker. He did his work and studied the week before any exams. Despite this he was a clever boy and had a firm grasp on magic. He and his friend, Dean Thomas, could be considered that year's class clowns. Seamus enjoyed a good joke, and he was a good laugh." Professor McGonagall smiled. "He was an asset to Gryffindor. Very bright, loyal and brave."

Seamus' mother was a fan of the Daily Prophet and almost didn't allow Seamus to return to Hogwarts after Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore claimed the return of He Who Must Not Be Named. Although Seamus managed to convince his mother to let him go back to school he no longer got a long with Harry believing that Harry was a liar.

"I'd always gotten along with Seamus. But the Daily Prophet is fairly persuasive. I don't blame him for not believing me." Harry shrugged. "He came around mid-way through the year. And I'm glad he did. He's a nice guy and a good friend, even after all these years."

During his fifth year of school, the same year that the Prophet reported Harry Potter as a liar, Seamus joined the DA like many other students.

"Seamus knew about the DA because he'd been there when I talked to Dean Thomas about it." Hermione smiled brightly. "When he came around to everything he was very eager to become a member and none of us minded."

"The night he joined was the night that Umbridge found us." Dean Thomas thinks quietly for a second, "I felt terrible because I'd told him to come that night and he ended up getting punished for it."

"I didn't care that I was punished for being a member even though I had only just joined. I didn't mind because I was with my friends and it meant that we'd almost beaten the toad."

Before the Battle of Hogwarts began Seamus was involved in restarting the DA and fighting the Death Eater establishment, along with most of the school's student population. Because of his actions Seamus received serious injuries but he continued to fight.

"Seamus was incredible in fighting the Carrows and Slytherins in the year leading up to the Battle at Hogwarts." Ginny smiled at the memory. "Despite his numerous injuries, and they were bad, he kept fighting them for all he was worth."

"Seamus was an inspiration to some of the younger kids at Hogwarts who joined the DA." Neville smiled. "He kept their spirits up with some of his Old Irish stories. They were actually really entertaining. He kept fighting no matter what the Carrows and Slytherins did."

In the Battle of Hogwarts, Seamus looked after many of the students attempting to escape.

"Seamus helped everyone underage to get out." Dennis Creevy remembers. "He kept all of us calm and ordered and was really efficient in getting everyone out quickly and with as little fuss as possible."

Once he had gotten everyone out, Seamus quickly entered the fray and helped to keep Death Eaters out of the actual castle for as long as possible.

"Mr. Finnegan surprised a lot of people that night." Professor Flitwick recalls. "He seemed to know many curses that were very useful in keeping Death Eaters out of the castle. Of course they eventually got in but that was mainly because a Death Eater who got in through a window or something attacked him from behind. He would have done well in Ravenclaw but then again he showed incredible bravery in helping many injured people, including his own friends."

"I always knew that Seamus was a brave, young man but I never believed that he would put himself in danger to help out of Slytherin student." Professor McGonagall smiles at the memory of her student.

Seamus now works for the Ministry in the Department of Wizard-Muggle Relations.

"I love my job. I work closely with both wizards and Muggles not to mentions most of the other departments and the Minister. Essentially I'm trying to control what Muggles see of the wizarding world and to make positive images of witches and wizards. It's a much easier thing to do in Ireland than it is anywhere else!"


	4. Number Seventeen

Seventeenth on our list is a man who started his commentating career early, Lee Jordan. Lee began his Hogwarts years as a shy boy who only had two friends, Fred and George Weasley.

"We met Lee on the train on our very first day. I admit that we didn't think much of him in the beginning and he thought that we were mad. I'm not quite sure how we befriended Lee but one minute we weren't friends and the next we were." George shrugged. "That's how some of the best friendships are started. Randomly and without anyone realising. We've been mates ever since."

Lee wasn't very academic when he first started and his Head of House blames this on the Weasley twins.

"Lee was smart and very capable. But I think the Weasley twins got to him early and he didn't bother so much with school work. But there is no denying that he was a Gryffindor through and through. I just wish that he'd put a little more effort into his work instead of goofing off."

Professor McGonagall first gave Lee the job of commentator in his first year when the normal commentator had to put in the Hospital Wing.

"What gave me the idea of getting Lee to commentate was that I'd heard him commentating in the stands for previous matches. And despite the bias he was very good at keeping up the game and remembering all of the player's names. Some commentators don't bother with names but Lee makes a point of doing it. When the normal commentator got sick I enlisted his help."

The match was Gryffindor versus Slytherin and although his House bias came through very clearly he was the best commentator Hogwarts had seen in a long time.

"I remember playing that match and I can recall Lee's commentary." Ex-Captain for Gryffindor Oliver Wood remembers. "I had just saved a very difficult shot and, unlike many commentators, he made a mention of how good the save was. I could tell then that Lee had a future in commentating."

When the normal commentator left Hogwarts that year Professor McGonagall approached Lee with the offer to commentate and he accepted it immediately.

"There was really no question about it. I didn't doubt for a second that he would say no and I was right. Lee was very excited about it."

"I was really surprised when Professor McGonagall made me the offer. I thought that they'd ask someone older or someone who knows the game really well. But she said that I was the best commentator that she'd heard for a long time."

Although all commentators have bias, Lee's bias was always obvious but it was outright blatant when it came to Gryffindor matches. In these matches it was very rare that Lee wouldn't say something against the other team and Professor McGonagall would yell his name, quickly followed by a 'Sorry, Professor'.

"I can remember Lee constantly telling off the Slytherins when we versed them." Seeker Harry Potter grins. "I think his commentary made the games even more interesting. Not only would yell and swear at the other team we were playing but he would often comment on the Gryffindor team. He would say if we were doing a good job or whatever. I can remember him saying, more than once, that the Alicia Spinett was attractive.

"Lee's commentary was excellent. When we didn't play he would commentate on the game from the stands and he was much better than the actual commentator." Beater George Weasley says. "Lee seemed to pick up on things that no one else did, including numerous fouls."

Like many students Lee joined the DA and then returned to Hogwarts for the Battle.

"There was never any doubt that I would fight in the final battle and when I learnt that it was at Hogwarts, well, that just made me want to fight even more. Hogwarts was my home for seven years and I felt as though I had to protect it and so I did."

During the Battle, like many, Lee was injured. While fighting a Death Eater a spell grazed his arm but it was enough to make him sway slightly. When this happened Lee was standing very close to the top step of the marble staircase and because he swayed he fell backwards down the stairs and landed heavily on his back.

"Despite landing heavily I was still conscious but the Death Eaters and everyone else didn't realise. They all though I was dead cause there was a lot of blood. I still don't know how I survived. But I know that I kept shooting off spells and actually getting Death Eaters. Once I began doing that people realised I was alive and those on the good side protected me while they got me out of the fray and somewhere safe. I am so glad that they realised before the Death Eaters."

The recovery took several months and afterwards Lee was offered a full time commentating position and he now gets paid to do what he loves. Recently, Lee married his long time girlfriend Alicia Spinett and they living happily in London.


	5. Number Sixteen

Some people find it hard to keep secrets and sixteenth on our list is no different. Although she was tricked into Marietta Edgecombe gave up information on the DA and gave up her fellow classmates to Professor Umbridge. At the beginning of her school life she was very talented in most of her lessons.

"When she first began Hogwarts Marietta was an excellent student. She was meant to be in Ravenclaw." Head of Ravenclaw, Professor Flitwick says. "Marietta was a bright student and she always very kind and conscious of what happened around her."

When the opportunity to join the DA arrived Marietta seized at the chance. She joined along with her best friend, Cho Chang, and seemed to enjoy the regular meetings and the mystery and excitement.

"As far as I could tell Marietta did enjoy the meetings." Hermione Granger tells. "She was actually very good at the curses and spells. She seemed to get a long with everyone. I never thought that she would sell us out."

"I'd never spoken to Marietta before the DA. I'd seen her walking her around the halls but that's all." Harry Potter says. "But Marietta was a good witch. I never thought that she would betray us."

After several weeks in the DA, Professor Umbridge questioned Marietta, like many other students. However, unlike all the other DA members Marietta drank the tea that was laced with truth serum. When asked about the location of the DA Marietta had no choice but to tell her how to find the group. But due to a curse placed on the sheet of paper where all DA members had signed Marietta came up in severe acne, which spelled 'TRAITOR' across her face.

"I won't ever tell anyone where I found that curse." Hermione Granger tells. "I only put it on the sheet of parchment as a fail safe just in case. I didn't say anything about it to anyone because that would have defeated the purpose."

Once Umbridge had the location of the DA she moved quickly. Every single member of the DA was caught in the act and punished with lines.

"It was horrible." Ginny Weasley, DA member, tells. "Not just the lines but the fact that Professor Toad found us out. And because of Marietta. Needless to say none of us talked to her, or Cho, after that. I know it wasn't Cho's fault but she did bring Marietta into the DA."

Obviously after their discovery the members of the DA could no longer meet. For some of the members this result was particularly heart braking because many felt that for the first time they had friends.

"I didn't really have many friends at Hogwarts until I joined the DA." Luna Lovegood says. "When I joined I felt as though I was excepted, as though I had friends. I was very sad when it ended. I suspect that Nargles had something to do with it."

"It was hard for me to except that the DA was finished. That we wouldn't be meeting anymore." Neville Longbottom confides. "I learnt a lot from Harry while I was in the DA. I always kept the coin in my pocket, just in case."

These days Marietta's location is unknown. But her friend Cho Chang did say that she was in hiding because many of the DA members are still out to get her.


	6. Number Fifteen

Fifteenth on our list is a certain Keeper who won hearts all round for being fair and an incredible player. Oliver Wood's father was an avid Quidditch fan and began to take his son to matches before he could walk or talk.

"Dad loved Quidditch. He'd played at Hogwarts for Ravenclaw as a Seeker and he had always hoped that I'd follow his footsteps and be a Seeker." Oliver Wood tells. "At the matches that he took me to as a kid I was fascinated with the Keeper and I decided early on that I wanted to be a Keeper."

At Hogwarts, Oliver excelled in his classes as a Gryffindor. Often questioning the way that his teachers taught a lesson.

"Oliver was an inquisitive boy." Professor McGonagall recalls. "He would always ask a question about the topic of the lesson. When he got his answer he would often sit quietly for a minute before disregarding what the teacher had said. But none of us really minded. Oliver was able to work things out almost on his own and in his own unique way."

Oliver was enthralled by how different Hogwarts Quidditch matches were to professional ones.

"The matches played between the Houses at Hogwarts are brutal. There's no mercy shown to your rival team. It's especially bad when Gryffindor and Slytherin face up to each other. I think Madam Pomfrey prepares weeks in advance for those matches. I know I would. I can remember the first match I saw at Hogwarts. It was Gryffindor versus Slytherin. I remember that Bill and Charlie Weasley were both on the team. It was a good match but Bill actually ended up in the Hospital Wing with a broken jaw. It was one of the best games I have ever seen."

It was obvious to many of Oliver's peers and teachers that he had a passion for the game that couldn't be satisfied by being a mere spectator.

"I could tell that Oliver loved Quidditch when he watched that first match of his first year." Charlie Wesley remembers. "Bill was injured badly in that match, which Gryffindor won, and he had to be taken to the Hospital Wing. Oliver actually came in to see Bill. I remember him saying that he was impressed with how good Bill and I was. He said that he wanted to be a Keeper. That was his first year and he already knew."

"I think Oliver had known that he would be a Keeper from a very young age." Professor McGonagall says. "He was very excited when he got the position in his second year. Straight away everyone could see that he would be a great Quidditch player. There was never any doubt that he would be Captain one day."

Oliver became Captain in his Fourth Year. This didn't come as a surprise to anyone. Professor McGonagall has always believed that Oliver would be amongst the best Captains that the Gryffindor team had ever had.

"I have to admit that I wasn't surprised when I got the Captain badge. But I was surprised that I got it in my Fourth year. But I wasn't complaining."

"For all of the jokes we made about him, he was a really good Captain." George Weasley states. "Olly could get us pumped for a game like no one else. And he's one of the best Keepers I know."

Like many ex-students, Oliver returned to Hogwarts for the final battle. In the midst of the battle Oliver was forced to fight someone he had once called 'friend'. Guy Jenkins had been a Hufflepuff student and had secretly harbored a love of the Dark Arts. In the battle these old friends came face to face once more.

"Jenkins had always been a little… different to other Hufflepuffs. He didn't mind the Slytherins and he would sometimes cheer them on in matches. But I never thought that he would become one of them. I never believed that he would become a killer." Oliver put his head in his hands for a second before looking back up. "He was my friend. It was as simple as that. When I met him in the Battle at Hogwarts I didn't realise it was him until he was on the ground and his mask was off. Jenkins was injured really badly and he was in a lot of pain. I had a couple of bad injuries from him as well. Before he died, Guy told me that he was sorry." Oliver's voice catches and his eyes well up. "He begged him me to kill him. Begged me to end his pain. And I did. Because he was my mate and he deserved that much from me."

After the Battle, Oliver was offered a position on the Quidditch team for England as both Keeper and Captain. He still holds this position today and has two children with wife and fellow Quidditch player for the Holyhead Harpies, Katie Bell.


	7. Number Fourteen

Next on our list is a man who died in tragic and horrific circumstances in what should have been a safe and fun competition. The Triwizard Tournament was billed as the biggest magical competition of the year. However, many believed that the Tournament should not have even been considered to make a return considering what had happened in the last Tournament almost a hundred years before.

"In the last one that was held, the task was that, as a group, they had to fight a giant. The giant crushed all the three Champions to death. And that was only the Second Task. I shudder to think what the Third Task would have been had they been able to continue the Tournament." Hermione Granger recalls from memory.

Cedric Diggory was an avid student and Quidditch fan. When he began Hogwarts, Cedric was enchanted by everything he found there and was proud to be a Hufflepuff, as his mother remembers.

"Cedric loved magic and Quidditch. That was what he looked forward to most about Hogwarts. When he got the letter he began planning how he was going to get on the Quidditch team, no matter what House he ended up in. And he was so proud to be sorted into Hufflepuff. He said that he would make me, his father and his House proud in whatever way he could."

"I remember when Ced was sorted into Hufflepuff. He was sorted before me and when the Sorting Hat yelled out Hufflepuff the smile on Ced's face was so big it surprised everyone. But he was so happy to be a Hufflepuff. He told me it was because there wasn't a stereotype attached to the House. He said that the stigma that Hufflepuffs are all stupid or whatever was wrong and he'd prove it." Cedric's long time friend, Billy Smith, recalls.

Professor Sprout, Head of Hufflepuff, can remember when Cedric went up to her in his second year and asked if he could be on the Quidditch team.

"He was so sure that he would do it. I had to let him at least try. The Captain of the team at the time was very impressed as soon as Cedric got up in the air. He was given the position straight away. There was no question that he could one day be a brilliant professional player."

Not only was Cedric Diggory an excellent Quidditch player but he was also a good student who studied hard so that he may prove himself.

"He would be in my Library for hours. On some nights I would have to ask him to leave." The Hogwarts librarian, Madam Pince, recalls. "The only other student, at that time, who had to be asked to leave was Hermione Granger, or Weasley now. Cedric was always very careful with the books and treated them with absolute respect, unlike many of the other dirty little children who bring chocolate into my Library."

"Ced actually like to study, which is strange for most Hufflepuff students. But he wanted to get good grades to prove that Hufflepuffs are smart. And to prove to himself that he could be anyone he wanted to be." Says Billy Smith.

When the Triwizard Tournament came to Hogwarts, Cedric Diggory saw not a dangerous competition but a chance to show the world that Hufflepuffs are smart. Cedric's decision to put his name in the Goblet of Fire would come at an expensive life. But all he could think on was the chance to prove himself and throughout the competition Cedric showed his kindness, courage, bravery and his value on friendship.

"Cedric voz a good wizard,' Fleur Weasley (nee Delacour) says. "He voz very brave in the Tasks and voz very kind to me. I 'ave been told that he wanted to prove himself and I believe that he did."

"Cedric was good competition. A very smart boy," Quidditch sensation Viktor Krum says in a thick Bulgarian accent. "Very quick, brave, and he had good sportsmanship. He helped me to understand when I got confused with the language. A very nice person."

"Cedric helped me with the Second Task after I helped him with the First. He was a really good wizard and was very brave and courageous in the Three Tasks and at the graveyard." The Fourth Triwizard Champion, and winner, Harry Potter remembers.

In the Third Task tragedy struck the competition, the three schools involved, Cedric's friends and family, and the entire wizarding world. Barty Crouch Jr. in the disguise of Auror Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody replaced the Triwizard Tournament Cup with a Portkey. The Portkey transported both Cedric Diggory and Harry Potter to a graveyard where they were met by Peter Pettigrew and He Who Must Not Be Named. Cedric Diggory was killed by Pettigrew, but with the Dark Lord's wand. Harry Potter managed to escape the graveyard, using the Portkey, and brought Cedric's body back to Hogwarts. Lord Voldemort had returned and Cedric was his first victim.

"I couldn't have left his body there with them. It didn't seem fair to Cedric to leave him with the person responsible for his death. All the summer afterwards I couldn't stop thinking about it and even now, decades later, I still have nightmares about that night. Cedric was such a kind, caring and courageous person and he didn't deserve to die like that. And I couldn't leave him."


	8. Number Thirteen

Next on our list is not a person so much as a ghost, the Gryffindor Ghost to be exact. Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, better known as Nearly-Headless Nick, as the Gryffindor Ghost since before Albus Dumbledore was even born and he has been a friend to many Gryffindor students throughout the years.

"We all liked Nick was I was a student and most students, mainly Gryffindors, do and did like him," Arthur Weasley, former Gryffindor student, says. "He was always nice and would help out whenever you required it."

"Nearly-Headless Nick was awesome," George Weasley, former Gryffindor student, claims. "He was actually good fun and usually up for a laugh. Plus he helped me and Fred get out of trouble a few times. Nick's a great ghost, and great at Halloween parties with his head."

Sir Nicholas' nickname of Nearly-Headless Nick results in the fact that a small part of his neck is still attached to his body after his beheading went wrong. Nearly-Headless Nick actually wrote a ballad explaining how he came to be nearly headless. He sings it for us today:

"It was a mistake any wizard could make  
Who was tired and caught on the hop  
One piffling error, and then, to my terror,  
I found myself facing the chop.  
Alas for the eve when I met Lady Grieve  
A-strolling the park in the dusk!  
She was of the belief that I could straighten her teeth  
Next moment she'd sprouted a tusk.  
I cried through the night that I'd soon put her right  
But the process of justice was lax;  
They'd brought out the block, though they'd mislaid the rock  
Where they usually sharpened the axe.  
Next morning, at dawn, with a face most forlorn,  
The priest said try not to cry,  
'You can come just like that, no, you won't need a hat,'  
And I knew that my end must be nigh.  
The man in the mask who would have the sad task  
Of cleaving my head from my neck,  
Said 'Nick, if you please, will you get on your knees,'  
And I turned to a gibbering wreck.  
'This may sting a bit' said the cack-handed twit  
As he swung the axe up in the air,  
But oh the blunt blade! No difference it made,  
My head was still definitely there.  
The axeman he hacked and he whacked and he thwacked,  
'Won't be too long', he assured me,  
But quick it was not, and the bone-headed clot  
Took forty-five goes till he floored me.  
And so I was dead, but my faithful old head  
It never saw fit to desert me,  
It still lingers on, and that's the end of my song,  
And now, please applaud, or you'll hurt me."

Although Nick lost his life, Hogwarts gained an incredible ghost and one who would become a friend to many thousands of generations of Hogwarts teachers and students alike.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**I know this one's really short but I couldn't think what else to say about Nick even though I really like him. **

**And before you ask no, I didn't write the ballad myself. I found it on J.K.R's website in the 'Extra Stuff' section. Her website actually explains a heap of things if you're interested to know. **

**As always, please R&R :D**


	9. Number Twelve

Next on our list is a witch who has been an invaluable teacher, mentor and friend to many Hogwarts students. Professor Minerva McGonagall was the Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts for many years and says that she never thought of being anything else.

"I always wanted to be a Transfiguration professor, though I suppose that sounds a little odd. I was very good at it from the very beginning of my time at Hogwarts and I used to practice the spells and incantations long into the night. Most of the time I would be so focused on Transfiguration homework and spells that I ignored all of my other lessons. But I still did well in them."

When McGonagall graduated from Hogwarts she worked in the Ministry for a time in the Auror department before realising that it wasn't for her.

"Although I enjoyed working in the Auror department it wasn't really my sup of tea. I'm not sure what I didn't like about the job but there was something about it that made me think twice about becoming an actual Auror."

Professor Dumbledore was the one who offered McGonagall the job after she quit working in the Ministry. She accepted without hesitation and was soon rising through the ranks, first becoming Head of Gryffindor House and then Deputy Headmistress. The students that Professor McGonagall taught all remember a caring yet very strict woman.

"I must admit that at first I found Professor McGonagall slightly daunting, but once I got to know her I realised that underneath the hard exterior she is actually a very kind and caring woman," Harry Potter says of the Professor. "She helped a lot in my time at Hogwarts, and even now I go to her for advice on things."

"Minerva was an incredible teacher," Arthur Weasley remembers. "Very strict yet very kind. I remember that she used to have to give me quite a bit of help in the early years of my time at Hogwarts. She taught me what it was to be true a Gryffindor."

"McGonagall was amazing," George Weasley states. "She'd actually help me and Fred get out of trouble with other teachers a few times, especially when it came to Umbridge. I remember that she actually gave us a few hints on how to get to the toad and she even once helped Peeves when he was trying to unscrew a chalkboard. She was a brilliant teacher. Still is actually."

"As Head of Gryffindor she helped out with finding new Quidditch players and she actually picked out Harry as Seeker and Fred and George Weasley as Beaters," Oliver Wood recalls. "She has a great eye for spotting talent, both on and off the Quidditch pitch."

"Minerva was always a good person and although many thought that she shouldn't work with kids she actually got on well with most of them," Professor Sprout says of her former colleague (Sprout retired several years ago). "She had a way with kids that many teachers envied. Minerva could make any student shut up and listen, especially the more challenging students such as James Potter and Sirius Black, and the Weasley twins. I don't know how she did it but she managed it and we all loved her for that ability."

Professor McGonagall became an advocate for Harry Potter, protecting him from the wrath of many people, some former teachers included.

"I did what I thought was right, standing up for Harry I mean," McGonagall says of her actions. "He didn't deserve the treatment he got after he announced that Voldemort had returned. It was as simple as I believed him and so I made that known. Not to mention Umbridge was just a toad looking to keep Harry away from what he wanted to do most. I knew that he could be an Auror and I was right. I defended him because it was the right thing to do."

After the death of Professor Dumbledore it was assumed that McGonagall would be made Head Mistress but by that time Voldemort had taken over the Ministry and he placed Professor Severus Snape in charge of the school. However, despite this Professor McGonagall was treated as the Head of the School by most of the students, and she aided the DA in their various escapades and saved them from severe punishments many times.

"Professor McGonagall was the Head Mistress in the eyes of most of the school, many other teachers included," Ginny Weasley, Head of the DA during that year, claims. "We would go to her if we needed something and she helped us out so many times I lost count. She would also stop the Carrows from punishing us in the manner they wanted to, thankfully."

"Professor McGonagall was brilliant that year," Neville Longbottom recalls. "She helped us out and even cause a little chaos of her own. Though she made sure no one else got in trouble for it."

During the Battle of Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall rallied the school together and was at the forefront of the fighting for the entire battle. She wasn't badly injured in the fighting but she did lose many friends. Throughout the Battle McGonagall helped out various people and defended the school with everything she had.

"I wasn't really thinking about myself during the Battle. My first priority was to get the younger students out of the school and once that was done I put all of my efforts into protecting the actual castle, and those who remained. I lost many friends in that Battle but in the end we won. I'm just glad that I had people I trusted watching my back and I owe my life to many of them."

After the Battle, the rebuilding of Hogwarts was placed in Professor McGonagall's hands and under her supervision the school was rebuilt, complete with a monument to those that died in the Battle. Professor McGonagall is currently the Head Mistress of Hogwarts and is still loved by all the students.


	10. Number Eleven

Creeping into eleventh place is a man responsible for capturing more Death Eaters than anyone else, Alastor Mad Eye Moody. Mad Eye began his career as soon as he graduated from Hogwarts, and quickly rose through the ranks to become an esteemed and much sought after man. And a target for any self-respecting Death Eater, if such a thing exists.

"Alastor was always a man of his word," Professor McGonagall recalls. "He never sugar coated the truth. He didn't see the point of doing so."

"Alastor, despite everything, was a kind man. He just knew how to hide it," Minister for Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt proclaims. "Mad Eye was the best there was, no doubt about it. He had a way with catching Death Eaters that I have never seen before. Frankly, I was surprised that a Death Eater managed to get the jump on him."

After the infamous Quidditch World Cup, Mad Eye was attacked in his home and the Death Eater, Barty Crouch Jnr., captured him and used a Polyjuice Potion in order to get closer to Harry Potter during the Triwizard Tournament.

"We never suspected that it wasn't Mad Eye who turned up at Hogwarts that year," Professor McGonagall says sadly. "Crouch not only looked like Moody but he acted exactly like him, not even Dumbledore could tell the difference. But then again I suppose that was the point."

"I didn't think anything of the help that 'Mad Eye' was giving me. I thought he just really wanted me to win. And in a way Crouch did. But not for anything good. When I think about it Crouch is really the reason that Cedric was killed that night."

Once Mad Eye was put right, he resumed his post in the Order of the Phoenix, often acting as head in Dumbledore's stead. In this post Moody was invaluable to the other members.

"Mad Eye was great in the Order," Molly Weasley recalls. "He could keep us all motivated and on the job. In hindsight, we didn't give him as much credit as he deserved. But then he never did enjoy being in the limelight. That's just the way he was I guess. But we all loved him dearly."

"Moody was awesome," Charlie Weasley says from the dragon sanctuary in Romania. "I reckon he was a little misunderstood, what with missing half his nose. Those with visible scars are often misunderstood, just look at me and my older brother, Bill. He was a good guy, a little harsh, but that was Moody, plain and simple."

The death of Mad Eye Moody was the result of a mix between a cowardly action and a betrayal. The cowardly action came from Mundungus Fletcher and the apparent betrayer was Severus Snape. Fletcher ran and Mad Eye paid the ultimate price: his life. Mad Eye was killed in thick of battle, as a small group attempted to get Harry Potter to safety. Harry Potter recalls the despair at the loss of Moody and the disgust at seeing his magical eye in the door of Umbridge's office at the Ministry:

"Losing someone is never good, obviously, but losing Mad Eye was different. It was as bad as losing Dumbledore a few months before hand. Moody seemed invincible. We all believed that he would be there at the end. We were so wrong and that, I think, is what made it worse. The fact that Moody was such a strong force, he kept all of us positive. When I realised that his magical eye was in Umbridge's door I was so angry. I took it because I thought that he deserved something better than that. And even though that's how the Ministry discovered we were there I'd do the exact same thing again without hesitation. Moody was unique. He was an incredible wizard and a good friend. We all miss him greatly."


	11. Number Ten

Making it into the top ten is a man whose loyalties were questioned and ultimately proved after his horrific death, Professor Severus Snape. His early childhood was full of unknown horror, fear and loss, and his teenage and adult lives appear to have followed the same pattern. Born to a witch, Eileen Prince, and a Muggle, Tobias Snape, Severus was a shy child who didn't have many friends, he did, however, befriend a young girl who lived close to his family, Lily Evans, more famously known as Lily Potter. The friendship between the two began with Snape revealing to Lily that she was a witch, and continued on into their Hogwarts years, despite being sorted into Slytherin and Gryffindor respectively.

"Severus was a smart student. He did all the work he was set." Professor McGonagall recalls fondly. "He and Lily were very close friends, and remained as such despite being sorted into Slytherin and Gryffindor."

"Severus was excellent at Potions from the beginning," says Professor Horace Slughorn, Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House. "He was a bright boy and I was proud to have him in my house."

Despite the praise of his teachers and the friendship of Lily Evans, Severus was bullied by many of his fellow students, mainly the Gryffindor boys James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. The hostility between the boys began as soon as they started Hogwarts and lasted right up until graduation.

"They never got along," remembers Arthur Weasley, a sixth year when Severus began Hogwarts. "I'm not sure why, though. I think that they just really, really didn't like each other. But perhaps it went deeper than that. I know that Severus was jealous of the four of them for various reasons, and I reckon his hatred of them stemmed from that jealousy."

"The amount of times that I or another teacher had to break up a fight between them, or stop them torturing Severus, was unbelievable," sighs Professor Flitwick, Charms professor and Head of Ravenclaw. "Mostly it was James and Sirius who did the… torturing but Peter would usually join in. Remus was probably the only one who didn't pick a fight with him or attack him for no reason, but at the same time he didn't stop them."

"The fights were always bad and it wasn't easy for the teachers to stop them," says Anne Downham, a Gryffindor student in the same year as the boys. "I remember that Lily could always stop the fights, but that was because Snape didn't like upsetting her, and James liked pleasing her. I reckon that Snape started creating his own spells just so that he could get the upper hand in their fights. But, of course, the Marauders caught up with him quickly. They were all evenly matched."

Throughout his years at Hogwarts, Severus was close friends with Lily Evans until one fateful day in their fifth year, just after their Defence Against the Dark Arts OWL exam. James Potter and Sirius Black were once again messing around with Severus when Lily came to his rescue. Severus, in the heat of the moment, called his best friend a 'Mudblood' and everything came crashing down.

"After that Lily started ignoring him, as much as it pained her to do, and James got more confident around her," says Professor McGonagall. "It broke Severus' heart to lose her as his dearest friend, but Lily just couldn't forgive him for that."

It was after this that Severus decided to join the Death Eaters,. He very quickly rose through the ranks of the Death Eaters until You Know Who trusted him completely.

"The Dark Lord trusted Snape without a doubt," claims a Death Eater whose name has been withheld at his request. "The Dark Lord believed that Snape was a valuable asset to us but in the end, he wasn't."

When the now famous prophecy about Harry Potter became known and You Know Who assumed that it meant the Potters, Severus attempted to save Lily by begging for her life. You Know Who agreed to spare her life so long as she didn't get in the way.

"He begged for my mother's life because he loved her," says Harry Potter. "Severus loved her and he didn't want her killed, and so he begged for her. Severus didn't care if me and my father were killed, just so long as my mother wasn't harmed. Of course, this didn't happen and Severus lost complete faith in Voldemort and turned to Dumbledore, who gave him a job and trusted him."

After the downfall of You Know Who, Severus took the job of Potions Master and Head of Slytherin house at Hogwarts and began to build a new life. When You Know Who once again rose to power Severus did the unthinkable. He became a double agent: he spied on You Know Who for Dumbledore, while pretending to spy on Dumbledore for You Know Who.

"Severus was incredibly brave doing what he did," says Harry Potter. "He knew what he was doing and he knew what would happen to him should Voldemort ever find out. He was the bravest man I have ever known."

Many people agree with Harry Potter's opinion on Severus despite Severus murdering Professor Albus Dumbledore.

"Severus had to kill him," states Harry Potter. "Dumbledore had made him swear it and he Severus kept his promises. Dumbledore was dying all throughout that year and he didn't want to force a boy to kill him. And so he asked a man he trusted with his life to take it away from him and to, in Dumbledore's words, save him."

Severus Snape was, after that incident, shunned by everyone in the Order of the Phoenix. He was made Headmaster of Hogwarts and had to deal with rebellion from almost every student. Most notably Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood.

"We had no idea that he was actually on our side," says Ginny Weasley. "We believed, as did everyone else, that he was a Death Eater and that he had killed Dumbledore. Of course, he really did kill Dumbledore but he was no Death Eater."

"If we had known at the time that Snape was on our side we probably would have left him alone and concentrated on annoying the Slytherins," says Neville Longbottom. "He had always been a bit scary and mean but he was, in the end, on our side and I'm sorry that we tormented him. I just wish that we had known."

"I always liked him." Luna Lovegood states simply and claims that she has nothing else to say because then she'd just be repeating Ginny and Neville.

When the Battle at Hogwarts began Severus left the castle and joined up with You Know Who in the Shrieking Shack. It was there in the dilapidated old house that Severus Snape was killed.

"Voldemort believed that Snape was the master of the Elder Wand and killed him in the most horrible way. Voldemort allowed his snake, Nagini, to attack and fatally wound Severus, and then left him there to die. I was with him when he died, and he just looked so broken and empty." Harry Potter blinks rapidly to get rid of the tears in his eyes. "All his life Severus had believed that he was worthless, but really he was absolutely incredible. We didn't exactly get along but despite that he was a good teacher and he did teach me and everyone else a lot of things. He was the bravest man and he didn't deserve to die in such a horrible way. I'm just glad that he's finally found some peace."

* * *

_I'm sorry! It's been ages since I last updated! *hides behind the lounge* Please be nice to me... please... :)_

_I just got really stuck on what to write for Snape because he's such a complex character and people's opinions on him changed dramatically. I hope I did him justice._

_Reviews make me type faster! Hint, hint :D_


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